There was not a sound to suggest that his orders were heard.
“Don’t know what to do, my lad,” whispered the master again. “If we go forward, we’re leaving the way open for the enemy to attack the watch at the entrance, and we don’t want that. Are you sure they’re here?”
“I feel certain of it,” said Archy in the same low tone. “They must be, but they’re hiding, so as to try to escape, or else to take us at a disadvantage.”
“Well,” said Gurr, “let them. So long as they come out and fight fair, I don’t care what they do. Here, four of you stop here; Dick, take command. We’ll go forward and turn the enemy, and try to take them in the rear. Stand fast if they come at you; no pistols, but use your cutlasses. We shall come up to you at the least sound, to help.”
The men uttered a low, “Ay, ay, sir,” speaking as if they were oppressed by the darkness, and the master whispered.
“Now, my lad,” he said, “try and give us the shape of the place like.”
Archy obeyed, and explained where the smugglers’ stores lay, and the pile of little kegs, if they had not been moved, the place where he had slept, and the positions of the huge pillars and heaps of broken stones.
“And you was shut up here all that time, and didn’t go mad!” said Gurr. “Well, you are a wonder! Tell you what, my lad, I should just like to make sure that those brandy kegs are still here, and then I think we’ll be off, and come back with lights. There’s no one here but ourselves. Place isn’t big enough for any one to be hiding without our hearing them?”
“Plenty, Mr Gurr,” said Archy firmly; “and I am sure they are here; but it is impossible to search without lights. They may be hiding behind the pillars or piles of stone. Have lights got as soon as possible, and then we can come and make them prisoners.”
All this was said in a hurried whisper, as the two stood together in front of their men, and in absolute darkness, for they had advanced into the place far enough for the faint light which filtered down from the trap-door to be completely lost.